Skagit Trail Builders is proud to be a program of United General District 304. Learn more about how they support community health in Skagit County by reading their latest impactContinue reading “United General District 304: 2025 Impact Report”

In spite of freezing temperatures, we had a solid turn-out of 22 volunteers at our January 24, 2026 work party. We had a late-breaking change to our work party plan,Continue reading “Trail Update: Freezing Temps and Sunshine! Building Quarry Trail on January 24.”

Join us Saturday, January 24, 2026 as we are continue building Quarry Trail on Port of Skagit property to expand the Northern State Trail System! About the Project Quarry TrailContinue reading “Trail Update: Our Work Party plan for Saturday, January 24, 2026…Building Quarry Trail!”

For planning purposes, Quarry Trail is divided into 3 sections (see map below). On January 10, 2026, our volunteer crew made excellent progress! The trail surface is nearly complete onContinue reading “Trail Update: Good times building Quarry Trail…photos and video from our Jan 10, 2026 work party”

The plan for our Jan 10, 2026 volunteer work party We are continuing our work on Port of Skagit property expanding the Northern State Trail System. In November 2025, weContinue reading “Trail Update: New Year, New Trail!”

We canceled our volunteer work party scheduled for December 13, 2025 due to the historic flood event brought on by this week’s atmospheric river. Flooding in lowland areas has promptedContinue reading “Skagit Flooding 2025: How you can help with disaster relief and recovery”

Dear Friends and Supporters, We are cancelling our volunteer work party scheduled for Dec 13. The rain this week has been extreme, flooding lowland areas and prompting road closures. WhileContinue reading “December 13 Work Party Cancelled”

Saturday, December 13, 2025 Volunteer Work Party Plan Today’s goal! Build the connection between Winfield Trail and South Knoll Trail. We’ll be crossing the lawn up to the rock wall/BrickyardContinue reading “Trail Update: Work Party plan for December 13, 2025”

Northern State Hospital opened in 1909 as an asylum for the mentally ill, growing to become the largest institution of its kind in Washington State. At its peak in theContinue reading “Building Trails for Community Health”

8:45 am Sign-in at the trailhead: Please note the new parking area for volunteers is located on the gravel road behind Trevennen Hall. Directions can be found here. 9:00 am:Continue reading “Trail Update: Our Work Party Plan for Nov 8, 2025”

Wild Weather and Great Progress on the Winfield Trail! Our October 25 work party started out with a bit of chaos then turned into a wild, windy adventure! An earlyContinue reading “Trail Update: A wildly windy work party!”

8:45 am: Sign-in at the trailhead Please note the new parking area for volunteers is located on the gravel road behind Trevennen Hall. Directions can be found here. 9:00 am:Continue reading “Trail Update: Our work party plan for Oct 25, 2025”

It’s October, and the rain has arrived! “If we hadn’t packed rock into the clay soil, we would have just been sliding all over the place!” Executive Director Jim “JT”Continue reading “Trail Update: Rainy days make for muddy work!”

This will be our second volunteer work party on Winfield Trail on (Port of Skagit) SWIFT Center property in Sedro-Woolley, WA. At our first session on September 27, the crewContinue reading “Trail Update: Our Work Party Plan for October 11, 2025”

What a great start! On Saturday, September 27, seventeen amazing volunteers rolled up their sleeves and made impressive progress on the new Winfield Trail. Together, we built a long rockContinue reading “Trail Update: Breaking Ground on Winfield Trail!”

Trail Project Update – Phase 1 We’re excited to share the first steps in creating new trails at the SWIFT campus! Thanks to the dedicated work of the Port ofContinue reading “Trail Update: Growing the Northern State Trail System in 2025-2026”

In partnership with United General District 304’s grief support program Rooted: Grieving & Growing Together and Skagit Parks and Recreation, Skagit Trail Builders is supporting the installment of a Wind Phone on Hill Creek Trail.

We are proud to be part of an amazing community that recognizes the health benefits of parks and trails and wholeheartedly supports outdoor recreation! On September 19, we celebrated theContinue reading “Community Support at the Song Sparrow Bridge Ribbon Cutting”

You may have heard that that September 13 was our last volunteer work party on property managed by Skagit County Parks and Recreation. We were joined by 41 community volunteersContinue reading “Trail Update: Stewarding Our Trails on September 13”

🌼 September 13 Our final work party at Northern State Recreation Area! We will be focused on trail stewardship activities like managing vegetation and decommissioning unsanctioned trails. 🎉 September 19Continue reading “Trail Update: September Events!”

VINCE RICHARDSON . Skagit Valley Herald Aug 20, 2025 SEDRO-WOOLLEY — Olmsted Park continues to take shape as what was once an empty field is being transformed into a highly-anticipated recreationContinue reading “In the News: Olmsted Park construction in full swing”

Press Release from the City of Sedro-Woolley: Ribbon Cutting for Song Sparrow Bridge September 19, 2025 The public is invited to celebrate the grand opening of the Song Sparrow Bridge,Continue reading “Song Sparrow Bridge Ribbon Cutting September 19, 2025”

While we completed work at Song Sparrow Bridge in the spring of 2025, we also put the final touches on the Northern State Trail System. With excellent weather and record-settingContinue reading “2025: Putting the Final Touches on Hill Creek Trail, Pumphouse Trail, and Elk Trail”

The site for Song Sparrow Bridge was identified for a trail crossing during the planning phase in 2018. We were thrilled when permitting was granted in 2024! Note: At thatContinue reading “2024-2025: Song Sparrow Bridge and the Connector Trail”

North Knoll Trail is a 3/4 mile section that extends from the Song Sparrow Connector, past the North Knoll, to the wild flower meadow. It follows Hansen Creek’s east bankContinue reading “2023-2025: Developing North Knoll Trail and the West Meadow Loop”

When the Pumphouse Bridge was complete, we celebrated! Now we could cross the creek with power carriers and materials to build the first section of the Pumphouse Trail. When weContinue reading “2022-2023: Building the Elevated Segment of the Pumphouse Trail”

Work on the Pumphouse Bridge began in the fall of 2021. When the overwater work was put on pause during the salmon run from November to March, our volunteer crewContinue reading “2021-2022: Building the Pumphouse Bridge”

Coming back from the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns in 2021 was a challenge. Contracts and permits were delayed, leaving our remaining work at Northern State Recreation Area uncertain. Hill Creek TrailContinue reading “2021: Ivy Control at the Historic Guard Shack and Thompson Pond”

When we started working on the Northern State Trail System in 2019, we were thrilled to accept the help of the 6 to 8 volunteers who showed up regularly. AsContinue reading “2019: Building Brickyard Creek Trail”

During the winter of 2018-2019, we broke ground on Hill Creek Trail at Northern State Recreation Area. 🤓 (Side note! At the time, it was being called the “Pumphouse Trail”Continue reading “2019: Breaking Ground on Hill Creek Trail”

Skagit Trail Builders started working on the Northern State Trail System in 2019. After spending a few work parties breaking ground on the Pump House Trail (now renamed Hill CreekContinue reading “2019: Building Dovetail Bridge”

Our 2024-2025 Build Year was our best year yet. We hosted 18 work parties engaging with 205 volunteers who donated over 4,000 hours of their time. 18% of our volunteerContinue reading “Trail Update: Build Year Report 2024-2025”

Join us on Saturday, July 26 for Public History Day at Northern State Hospital in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. Pre-register for a free tour of the Colman Ward. Learn from speakers andContinue reading “Join us at Northern State Hospital for Public History Day July 26 2025”

Our work at Northern State Recreation Area is nearly complete. We are excited about our upcoming plans on Port of Skagit property! This summer our leadership team will wrap upContinue reading “Trail Update: Proposed Trails on Port of Skagit Property”

We concluded our build season with record-setting attendance! Fifty-six volunteers brought their enthusiasm, energy, and positive vibes to the final workday of the 2024-2025 build season, June 28, helping usContinue reading “Trail Update: Record-Setting Attendance at our Final Work Party of the Season”

We are thrilled to have been awarded a generous grant by the Skagit Community Foundation that enabled us to purchase a new Canycom power carrier! This funding represents far moreContinue reading “New Power Carrier! Thanks to the Skagit Community Foundation and United General District 304”

Only one volunteer work party (June 28) left before we break for summer. ☀️ Over the summer our leadership team will finish up the wind phone, a few small projectsContinue reading “Trail Update: Work Party Plan for Saturday, June 28”

What is the difference between a path that gets you from point A to point B and a trail that brings you joy and fills your soul? Beauty! On Saturday,Continue reading “Video: Beautiful rock work and fern plantings at the Pump House Bridge”

  Scope of Work: June 2025   We are nearing the finish line on our project on park property! Only two work parties left before we break for summer. InContinue reading “Trail Update: Work Party Plan for June 14, 2025”

A few months ago our trail crew was joined by Sedro-Woolley High School Video Instructor, Jason Dilley, and student Avi, for a day of filming volunteer interviews. They recently sharedContinue reading “Video: Documentary by Sedro-Woolley High School Students”

A New Trail Jack Hartt May. 29 2025 Originally published by Hiking Close to Home and Anacortes Now We venture a little east of our islands for this week’s hike…Continue reading “In the News: A New Trail by Jack Hartt”

We are celebrating the successful completion of our 2024-2025 build year AND the amazing community of volunteers who made it possible with a trailhead BBQ! Join us Saturday, June 28Continue reading “Trailhead BBQ: June 28, RSVP by June 25”

Great news for trail users! With our work on the Hill Creek / Pump House trail system nearly complete, the county has done a final survey and produced a newContinue reading “Trail Update: New Map and New Trail Names”

Volunteers from the Mountaineers Go Hike Course joined us for an great day of trail stewardship on May 24 and helped us accomplish sooooooo much! We are VERY confident weContinue reading “Trail Update: Thanks to the Mountaineers Go Hike team for a great day of trail work!”

Congratulations to our Youth Leaders, Sativia and RJ, for earning a letter in Varsity in Volunteerism! Students who complete 100 hours of service are awarded a varsity letter in volunteerismContinue reading “Congratulations to our Youth Leaders, Sativa and RJ, for earning a letter in Varsity in Volunteerism!”

Update July 24, 2025 We have an awesome student joining us in September 2025 as one of our new Youth Leaders. We have a second opening to fill for someoneContinue reading “2025-2026 Youth Leader positions”

With only 3 work parties left, we are nearing the finish line on our project on park property. Last session we completed the work around Song Sparrow Bridge (it looksContinue reading “Trail Update: Work Party Plan for May 24, 2025”

We had another great day at Northern State Recreation Area finishing our project at Song Sparrow Bridge and the Elk Trail Head!

Skagit Trail Builders Volunteer Work Party Plan for May 10 2025